Changing Thier Mistakes
by SweetestRevenge
Summary: This story started as me writing a different version of 2x24, however, it's ended up being a series of me re-writing some of the ramifications of Castle and Beckett having the opertunity to get together but not. So there will be a lot of episodes to change!
1. Chapter 1

Staring at himself in the bathroom mirror, he tried to steady his breathing as the realisation dawned on him. He was in love and it hadn't occurred to him until he had seen her kiss Demming. He had felt a strange crumbling in his chest that he hadn't experienced since he'd walked in on Meredith and her director.

But this was worse.

This physically hurt.

He'd brought up the Hampton's with pure intentions - well, mostly pure - just to see if there was a spark. If they could work domestically like they did at work, with such acute precision that they could share the same thoughts. He wanted to see how serious she was about this new man and for now it seemed that she was staying true, but something in her eyes said she really wanted to say yes to the Hampton's holiday. If he could just convince her.

She was in the middle of talking to Tom about their plans when the thought popped into her head. She was talking about her plans with Tom, but thinking about her possible plans with Castle. This was crazy! Espo's words kept echoing in her head - "Why do you think he's been following you around all this time?" - she didn't know, she thought there was something there on those odd occasion where he isn't driving her crazy but it's Richard Playboy Sleep-and-run Castle. He was a ladies man, he didn't care about her, he just wants her to satisfy his curiosity and then he'll leave like the rest of them.

But one thing was for sure. She couldn't string along Tom while her head was like this. Overloaded with Castle. There was only one thing to do.

End it.

She had to know, she needed to know what her and Castle were, why he had invited her. And before she can stop herself, she's asked him to talk in private. She takes the lead dragging him into the interrogation room and locking the door, not really wanting an audience when she bears her soul. She grits her teeth. (Well, no turning back now)

She turns away from him but compensates her voice so he can still hear. "Look, I need to know what this invitation means before I can give my answer."

He's confused but he silently thanks The Lord that she's looking away so she can't see that he's shaking. Nerves raw from an internal battle to tell her the truth or to lie.

"Just a friendly holiday, no funny business, just partners." Lie it is then.

Her heart stops as tears begin to fill her eyes. It's worse than she imagined. It wasn't that he didn't want anything more than to sleep with her. He didn't even want that! She dragged in a shaky breath in a failed attempt to calm herself down.

"Oh, okay."

He didn't understand, she sounded disappointed! She was the one with a boyfriend and did everything she could to tell him that they were never going to happen so what was she expecting!

He could feel himself becoming angered at the thought of her spending the time with Demming instead of him and couldn't hold back the words that fell out if his mouth.

"Well what were you expecting Kate? A holiday affair before you return to your REAL boyfriend? You've made it clear you don't have feelings for me an there's only so many times you can bang your head against a brick wall before you get a headache and believe me, I'm done with trying to stand the pain."

"I understand, I'm sorry I just got the wrong -" she couldn't bear to finish her sentence, she needed out, now! She whisked around aiming for the exit. That's when Castle saw her properly, tears streaming down her face, her body quivering. She was so vulnerable. So perfect.

Without thinking he had grabbed her and placed a firm yet tender kiss to her lips, unable to control himself and just wanting to make her smile again.

"Don't kiss me." Well she wasn't sad anymore, in fact, she looked PISSED.

"How dare you, toying with me, saying we're just friends and then kissing me. I mean shit if you just said you just wanted to fuck me and leave because you didn't feel the same I would've been able to deal with it because at least then I'd know where I stood with you. But kissing me and saying we're FRIENDS!? Why wou-"

He'd cut her off, unable to listen to anything else she had to say "Me toying with you Beckett? Are you serious? I don't want to be friends with you! I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so it has been brought to my attention that chapter 1 was rather short, but as my first story, I wasn't really excepting such a good reaction and I thank you all for your follows! Also you should note that after I finish the story line for this, I'm going to go over every key moment in the Caskett relationship and change all their mistakes! So the stories may not be in order of the seasons/episodes but hey! So yeah please enjoy and review if you have the time so I know what to improve on to entertain my fellow fans better!** **Also apologies for any grammar/spelling mistakes, I wrote this on my phone at 2am!**

**And without further adieu, here's chapter two!**

He hoped the excessive volume of his statement might help it sink in. He began to calm himself down after seeing her flinch at his raised voice. For an intelligent woman she was WAY off with him, I mean, everyone else saw that he was crazy about her, how could she not see it? Then again, he himself didn't realise it until a week ago so, who's he to judge!

"I love you Kate, it took me a while to realise it, but there you have it. I am hopelessly in love with the one woman I can't have." Her face was still coated in shock but she had stopped shaking and was clearly paying attention to every bit of word vomit that was coming out of his mouth. "All I can say is Demming is a lucky guy. He should appreciate what he has in you Kate."

He'd kept his distance after they'd kissed and had she moved away, mainly for his own safety, but now, he just wanted to hold her. He's finally tasted her. His forbidden fruit, and now he wanted more. Much, much more.

"We broke up." The statement muttered so silently that he barely heard her. His heart skipped a beat at that moment. A hope. A chance! (Wait wait, hold on, we don't know why they broke up!)

"I didn't think it was right," - she continued - "staying with him when all I really wanted was to be with you."

That was all it took. He had suddenly appeared behind her from the other side of the room and enveloped her in his arms, his nose buried in her cherry-scented hair, inhaling her deeply and loving the warmth her body brought to him. Slowly, he began to turn her in his embrace. Focussing on her face, he saw her completely, her vulnerability and she was everything he'd ever dreamed of. He gazed deep into her golden eyes in an attempt to convey everything he couldn't say at the time.

His hands began to move up her back in a caress until they were tangled in her hair and his thumbs caressed her lips and checks with the softest touch.

"Do you want this Kate? Because I can't go back now, not with knowing how we feel about each other."

Her eyes flicking down to the floor for a second before darting back up to meet his endless blue irises that seemed to truly show her all the emotions he was feeling, but it didn't scare her. For the first time in years, she felt safe.

"Kiss me."

With that, his lips were on hers, tenderly caressing her mouth but with a speed that indicated the need they felt to taste one another. His hands running through her hair as his tongue slipped over the seem of her mouth, craving entrance. Her hands flexing weakly on his shoulders as she opened herself to him, deepening the kiss as their tongues danced in perfect harmony.

They pulled away quickly realising where they were. Gasping for air and already missing the contact, Castle rested his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling between them. His arms wrapping around her, holding her close to him in a tight embrace, almost afraid that she'll run away the first chance she gets.

"Come home with me, we can talk about this there, Alexis is out and so is my mother, we can properly discuss what we're doing." Kate nodded in reply, slowly leaving his embrace, she opened the door and walked out.

Wandering towards the room they had been sat in moments ago under completely different circumstances, she noticed that everyone was staring at her, clearly curious as to what events had occurred in the brief moments that they had been absent.

"I need to head off and thought I'd give Castle a ride home." A poor excuse but she was fully aware that they weren't fooling anyone, and the cocky 'all knowing' look on Lanie's face confirmed her suspicions that she's not as opaque as she'd like to think. "Yeah sure, a ride home. See you tomorrow Beckett!" Ryan's comment quickly received a brief nudge from Espo and a sharp look from Montgomery and Lanie.

Quickly collecting her things and saying goodbye to everyone, she rushed out to meet Castle waiting for her in the hall way, knowing that this ride home would change everything between them. More than it already had.

Castle followed quickly behind her after saying goodbye to everyone stating that he needed to write, crappy excuse but he thinks it either worked or they are just too smart to ask what's really going on.

"I already have an excuse and you just blew our cover!" Beckett hissed at him, realising that they're usually more in sync than that, although the recent excitement has their minds on other matters rather than making excuses to get out of there.

They headed towards the elevator and after pushing the button, Kate wraps her fingers around Rick's, a smile on her face that is shared by him as she looks up from their entwined hands to his eyes before stepping into the elevator and watching as the doors close in front of them. They're really doing this!

"So, what'd you think just happened there?" Lanie is the first to speak naturally, anything to get the slap-jaw looks off of the men's faces!

"Um, I'm not sure, but the fact that Beckett was holding his hand tells me it can't be bad!" Espo is the first to reply.

"Looks like she'll be needing that holiday time after all cap!" Ryan's remark earning him a stunned chuckle from everyone. "But seriously though, those two were inevitable. It was just a matter of time before they finally sealed the deal." Everyone nodded in agreement to Ryan.

"That girl better call me with ALL the details or I'ma smack her!"

The drive back was quiet, but comfortably so, their hands met again as he held her hand in the car, her nimble fingers matching his so perfectly. She let him drive her car to his loft. Things were already changing so much.

He stood close to her during the elevator ride up to his loft, neither of their smiles had left their faces since they exited the precinct. As the doors opened he brushed the small of her back to encourage her movement towards his door, still subconsciously thinking that she'll duck and run if he lets her go.

He opened the door to the loft allowing her to step through first, taking her coat and wrapping an arm around her middle as she faced away from him, he gently peppered kisses to her neck and she sighed in return, melting back into him.

He stopped soon after though as they were never going to have this talk if he carried on. Leading her to the kitchen island, he began to make some coffee as she took a seat on her stool, as it had become when she was staying there after having her apartment blown up. He had loved her staying there, they just fell into domestic routines and had become much closer because of it. They had been through so much together and the thought that he'd lost her when he saw that explosion is something he NEVER wants to feel again!

With the coffee brewed, he poured her a cup and passed it to her.

"So, how do we do this?" She stated with a glint of hesitance in her voice. "I'm no good at these, talking, things. The words don't, you know, do what they're s'posed to." The shy statement made over the rim of her coffee cup. He's never seen her at a loss for words, usually she's so articulated, able to put even a man who makes his living with words in his place. But this wasn't Beckett, this was Kate, loving adorable, perfect, the yin to his yang.

"Yeah I can see that!" He replied attempting to make her more comfortable by lightening the mood. It seemed to work as she giggled slightly, a blush beginning to rise up her face.

"I just want to cover the basics so I don't end up with an empty bed and a note saying not to talk to you again." A bit bluntly put but a fair point in his mind, although she was a little shocked. Did he really doubt her that much? He obviously noticed her reaction to his plainly-put statement as he changed his tone and went for a different approach.

"Look, what I mean to say is that, I'm crazy about you and I want us to be more than we are now, I don't think I'd be able to handle it if we weren't on the same page and I got my heart broken again."

She understood what he meant, they had spent their entire partnership on different pages that it had just got confusing.

"I want more for us as well, I don't think I could go back as easily now." She said with a cute smile coating her face.

Castle's eyes brightened up immediately, with a shinning blue beam of happiness. "Well, now we know." His eyes wrinkled in the corner from the smile that was just for her. He wandered around the counter to her and began to kiss her again, this time placing his hands on her hips and grazing the skin under her white shirt with his thumb. The sensation setting fire to her skin and filling her with pure need. She took his hand and began to lead him towards his bedroom, she never felt more sure about anything in her life. This was right. This was them at their best. Honest, open and craving each other like junkies!


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay guys, here's the final installment for THIS episode, but other versions for other episodes will be coming soon and added to this story! Thank you for still following, but I will say this again, this is the M rated so if you are younger than you should be to read it then please, read no further!**

**Please review and if you want to, tell me what eppisodes you would like me to change and re-write and I'll do my best! Thank you all and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

Waltzing through the open door, Beckett felt his hand leave hers swiftly before his hands were on her body, pressing her firmly into the door, slamming it shut. His mouth trailing down her neck and along her collarbone, his action rewarded by a soft moan escaping her mouth.  
"You have no idea how badly I've wanted this." He managed to get out between pecks.  
"Oh believe me, I do!" Her voice was almost quivering as she was unable to control the burning desire that was running through her body, lighting her veins on fire.

Running his hands up and down her sides, he slowly slipped his hands under her shirt and began to drag it off her body, her curls flowing around her face and neck as they fall out of the raised shirt. He could have undone the buttons, but that would require a state of concentration that he definitely didn't posses at this moment in time!

He felt her hands begin to unbutton his shirt - that's Beckett, always keeps her head! - and begin to press kisses to his chest and she moved the shirt off of his shoulders and down his arms. Reaching around her back, he slowly began to undo the clasp on her bra, it took every bit if concentration he had to steady his fingers enough to fiddle with the tiny hooks enough to unclip it. He watched as the straps fell down her shoulders and her breasts were left bear to him.  
He took one of her nipples into his mouth and rolled his tongue around it as his hand came up to palm and massage her other breast, taking delight in the sounds if pleasure coming out of Kate's mouth.  
He pried his mouth away as he began to pop the buttons of her trousers, but stopping and taking a step back. He seemed to be pondering something until his expression changed to the one he has slapped on his face when he thinks he has a good idea. Seconds later, he was wrapping her up in his arms resulting in a surprised squeak from her while he carried her to the bed before laying her gently across it.

Kate, beginning to feel a little impatient, swiftly began to shuck her trousers down her legs, reaching the top of her thighs before Rick took a hold of her wrists, stopping her. "Please, let me."  
His fingers slipping under her waist band and brushing her skin, he began to slowly pull the trousers off, leaning down and pressing kisses to her bear skin each inch he travelled. Then repeating the exact motion again with her underwear.  
He took a moment at that point, waiting in the moment and taking in her true beauty. Her pale, white skin, broken by a light peppering of freckles. Her perfect body, looking so sleek and being perfectly lit by the sunlight beaming through his windows, the shadows emphasising her curves. But the most beautiful aspect of her, was looking down into her soft, keening eyes, which at that moment indicating that she was a little confused as to why he had stopped.  
"You are just, so," a sigh passing his lips before continuing, "perfect."  
The statement earning a reaction that he'll never forget, a blush travelling up the length of her body.  
Unable to contain himself anymore, he quickly removed his jeans and boxers before slowly clambering on top of her, opening her legs so he could nestle himself in the cradle of her pelvis.  
He began to kiss her again, feeling her legs wrapping around his back, he pulled away before leaning into her hair and whispering "not yet."

Rising to his hands and knees, he began to slip down her body, leaving moist trails where his tongue was slipping over her skin. He stopped when his face met the bottom of her stomach, looking up at her and staring into her eyes as he slowly sank two fingers inside of her. Her head falling back to the pillows as she moaned. He began a painfully slow rhythm, as much as he would love to just get inside her, he still wanted to torture her for a little bit.

"Castle, please. Need more!" She muttered between gasps.

He thought he'd give her just enough to warm her up properly, so he lowered his mouth to her most sensitive bud between her thighs, her reaction making him smile slightly as her worked her up to her first peak.

Kate had her hands gripping the duvet in order to stop her from grabbing on to his hair as she began to whimper, sigh and moan his name. Feeling her climax approaching quickly, her breaths became shorter and faster. Then all it took was a flick of Rick's tongue over her most sensitive bundle of nerves to launch her off of her metaphorical cliff as she writhed in ecstasy underneath him. Castle working her through her climax made her scream out her pleasures before shuddering as the last wave of heat washed over her.

Climbing back up her body, Castle swiftly began to position himself at her entrance, looking into her eyes again. "Are you ready?"  
She nodded slowly, running her hands to his sides, pulling him into her until he was completely sheathed inside her walls. The feeling of her around him almost enough to make him finish embarrassingly early!  
She had to hold him still a moment, needing to adjust to his size. It had been a while considering her and Demming never got that far, and he was not small!  
Once a few moments had passed and she felt less stretched, she moved him slightly to encourage him to begin the age-old dance of a new couple, making love for the first time.

He began to build up a steady rhythm, biting her name into her shoulder as she began that climb up to her second peak.  
She felt amazing, I mean, he'd had sex with a lot of women, some he regrets but this was different to every single one of those times! She was different to every other woman he'd ever been with, their passion and love for each other increasing the pleasure ten-fold. It wasn't about finally accepting the attraction, it was about the two of them finally becoming one.

She adjusted her body to open herself more to him, the new change in angle proving to be an intense adjustment as she felt herself preparing for another orgasm, praying that she could hold on long enough to experience a simultaneous orgasm between them.  
He began to speed up his pace, pumping into her wildly, feeling her walls start to tighten around him, he knew she was close, but he wasn't going to hold on for much longer, he couldn't. Shifting his weight onto one arm to stop himself from crushing her, he dipped his other hand between them in order to stroke her sensitive bud.

After a few flicks of his fingers and a few more pumps into her, she was writhing in pleasure bellow him as he followed her climax moments later, spilling into her as they cried out each other's names before he collapsed onto the bed beside her.

Desperately trying to get control of their breathing, they tilted their heads to look at each other, a small smile creeping across both their faces.  
"Wow." Kate whispered into the air.  
"Holy shit, was the phrase I was gonna go with but yeah, wow!"  
Castle rolled over slightly and brought his arm up to stroke up an down her stomach, the soothing sensation increasing her exhaustion.  
"I love you Kate, I love you so much."  
Her eyes closed slowly, breaking their stating match. They remained closed for a few moments before she opened them again, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

Rick quickly sat up, pulling her on to his lap as one of his hands cupped her face and the other cradled her back.  
"Kate what's wrong? I didn't hurt you did I?" He began to panic, thoughts of him hurting her or worse, she wants to run again kept circling his brain, he stared at her with bated breath, waiting for a response.

"Nothing's wrong Rick." She buried her head into his chest, loving how warm an safe she felt him his arms.  
"I'm crying because I haven't been this happy since my mother died. And it's all because of you."  
She moved her head so she could see his eyes, those deep blue eyes that had come to be her favourite feature of his, well, maybe after his ass.

"I love you too Rick. I really do."

His eyes crinkled in the corners and went a slightly lighter shade just before he pressed the most passionate kiss to her lips.  
He pulled away before looking at her, a cheeky smile on his face.  
"Say it again."  
"No you have to earn it!" She replied with an adorably shy smile covering her face.  
"Oh I'll earn it!" Was the last thing said before he had rolled them over to begin round two.


	4. Chapter 4

**I know this scene has been re-written so many times but I thought I'd have a crack at it because it was one hell of a missed opertunity, thank you for reading and following and I hope you all enjoy!**

**3x22: To Love and Die in LA**

_Risking our hearts is why we're alive. The last thing you want to do is look back on your life and wonder, if only." - Mike Royce_

She was sat too close to him. Way too close. Close enough that she could feel his breath on her face, smell his expensive cologne and see every detail, every speck of colour in his beautiful azure eyes. She was telling him about Royce, how he would tease her and embarrass her, but mostly how much he had taught her.

He was the one who showed her how to be a cop, how to deal with the real-life situation instead of the one on paper.

But the main thing she was thinking - a thing that she would never admit to Castle - was how in love with Royce she had been, how astounded she had been by him. He was the one person who had made her smile throughout her training, the one person she trusted completely to have her back for that time.

But the thing that scared her most, was the fact that the only other person she has felt about in the same way, was the man in front of her, listening to her babble on about 'the good old days'. But she'd never say it and she'd try her hardest not to think it, but it kept coming up in her brain. Royce's words spinning around in her mind, she didn't want to look back and wonder how it might have been different, but she didn't want things to change and then fall apart only to look back and have to think about how good they were as friends.

"You know what I thought when I first met you?"

She honestly didn't know, but she found her curiosity for what he was going to say increasing.

"That you were a mystery that I was never gonna solve. Even now, after spending all this time with you, I'm still amazed by the depths of your strength, your heart,"

The same heart that began pumping wildly.

"and your hotness."

Typical Castle, but before she's realised what she was doing, she'd said it.

"You're not so bad yourself Castle."

That came out a lot more seductive than she had meant it to, she thinks it had been more than she meant it to...

She could see by the look on his face that he appreciated her saying that, a spark of hope igniting in his eyes.

She didn't know what she was doing!

All she could think of was how delicious he looked in this light and wondering if his lips would taste like wine. And then she was strait back in that ally, the night they kissed, how his lips felt like satin and how she had unconsciously moaned into his mouth when she felt his tongue glide over the roof of her mouth.

And then she had moved in, moved the tiny amount that it took to close the gap between them, their lips interlocking in a slow kiss.

Oh god, he tasted like heaven, and yes, red wine. Before she knew it his hands were in her hair and he was bringing her body closer to his.

"Wait."

She pulled away sharply, looking one last time into his eyes before attempting her retreat to her room, standing up and begin to walk towards her room before she felt a hand on her arm, turning her around.

"Kate, you can't just do that and walk away!"

He wasn't going to let her do this. Not now.

"Look Castle I just-"

"You just what?" He knew she was going to try and choose a logical path, explain that it was a mistake and blame it on the wine. But not tonight.

He began to raise his voice, without it turning into a shout. "Why are you running away from me again? Every time I get close to you, you pull away and shut me out. I care about you Kate, you must know that! It's not like I hide the fact that I'm crazy about you, everyone else knows!"

She was in stunned silence, how did she let this happen! One minute everything was fine and the next he's stood in front of her telling her everything that she already knew, but was too scared to believe.

"Why won't you just let me in? Give me a chance, something! I will do anything Kate, just say something."

She stared at the floor, terrified of his words, not because she didn't feel the same, but because she didn't know if she was ready for this. Ready to let another man into her life who can leave again.

"Because what happens when I do, huh? You'll leave like everyone else. Why would you want someone so broken? Someone who everyone I care about dies bloody or leaves because they don't want to deal with it anymore?"

Tears were streaming down her face, but she was angry.

"You're a playboy Rick, you don't live in the same world as me, you don't know what it's like to loose everyone you love, my mom, Royce, I will not loose you too because of a stupid mistake."

"Don't." He took a breath, attempting to calm himself down. His voice quieter now, sounding almost broken, crushed at her words.

"Don't ever say that was a mistake, because it wasn't, it is another sign of why we should be together. You don't have to be scared of loosing me, Kate." He slowly wrapped his arms around her, placing his chin on top of her head as she leant into him.

" I would never leave you,"

Here it goes, now or never,

"I love you. I have for a long time."

Her heart stopped beating, her breath held. Moments passing.

"Please say something Kate, please."

His begging making her feel worse than she's ever felt before, was he really hurting this much? Did he really want her so badly that he'd be willing to put up with all her baggage?

She pulled out of his embrace, seeing the sadness in his eyes, he'd probably assumed she was pulling away to say she didn't feel the same way.

"But what if it doesn't work?" Her voice was so quiet and quivering due to the fact that she was now shaking. "What if we fall apart?"

"Kate, you can't spend your life in fear of things going wrong, and as far as me dying bloody, I've been your partner for nearly 4 years now and I'm still breathing!"

He was right, she'd spent so much of her life afraid of being abandoned again that she just found it easier to just shut everyone out. Build walls all around her, protecting her from the outside world.

"Castle,"

She looked up to meet his eyes again.

"I love you too."

His heart began pounding immensely, gripping her hand and pulling her towards him, moving down to kiss her again. He'd forgotten that she was a lot shorter than him without her heals on.

After they parted from each other, she took hold of his hand, leading him towards his bedroom, opening the door and wandering over to the bed before slipping into the bathroom.

Moments later she emerged, completely naked and began sauntering towards a baffled Castle who was sat on his bed, still in the same attire as he had on when she had left.

Just as he began to unbutton his shirt, she wandered over to him stopping him.

"No, that's my job." Her whispering that in her was enough to make his jeans incredibly tight.

She gently pushed his shoulders beck, forcing him down to lay back on the bed, Before she slowly began to continue his action, popping each button open and trailing sloppy kisses to each new bit of freshly unveiled skin.

After the last button, she made her way back up his body, kissing him lightly behind his ear as she felt him inhale her scent into him.

"God, you still smell like cherries. You have no idea what that smell does to me."

Lowering her hand and cupping him over his pants, she whispered cheekily "oh, I think I do." Then she slipped down his torso again, beginning to undo his jeans in a torturing, slow pace. She beginning to shuck his trousers down his legs, the fact that his knees were still hanging off the edge of the bed making her job easier, before repeating her actions with his boxes, a small squeak of surprise leaving her as she watched his sizeable manhood spring free from it's restraints. Standing well and truly to attention.

Once his lower-half had been taken care of, she began to rub him softly, enjoying the noises of pleasure her was making, before taking his entire length into her mouth and repeating the motion over and over. Resulting in him making a small gasp every time she reach his base.

Hi hand slipping down to her face, getting her attention. "Kate, you're going to have to stop that if you want anything more to happen!"

She released him with a loud pop before crawling up his body, leaning down to kiss him before rising on to her knees and sinking down onto him, a loud moan leaving her lips as she was stretched to the size of him.

He felt so good inside her.

She began to rock into him, slowly at first and then quickening her pace as she felt herself begin to rise to her climax.

After a few more motions of her rising and falling onto him, his hand began to slip down between we legs, rubbing her sensitive bud, bringing her climax like a runaway freight train, he could feel that her climax had arrived before she began to scream as her walls began to tighten around him.

After a moment passed, allowing her to catch her breath, he pulled her body down to his, holding her tightly to him and kissing her before he raised his knees up to put his feet on the bed as he began to pump into her.

A much faster pace than she was doing previously.

"Castle, can't hold on much longer."

He began to rock into her harder in order to reach his peak when she did.

Just as she felt she couldn't hold on anymore, he began to spurt into her and cry out her name. The feeling of his hot seed inside her making her orgasm increase ten-fold as she screamed his name out, her voice echoing through the hotel room.

She remained on top of him for a few moments before balancing her weight on her arms lifting herself just enough to hover over him.

"I love you, Rick."

The light in his eyes reassuring her that he really did care for her.

"I love you too, Kate. I love you too."

Once they had both caught their breath, they moved up the bed, curling up with each other and falling asleep in each others arms.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay so I found the last chapter a lot harder to write than I thought so it was pilotless short, I may carry it on later down the line. But I am making up for the shortness of the last chapter with this episode, so I hope you can forgive me! Also I know a lot of people don't like the idea of Beckett cheating so I decided to ignore his existence in the last chapter, but he is in the story line in this. I hope you all enjoy!**

**3x13: Knockout**

Well, it was a dumb idea, but it was better than any plan she could come up with in a short amount of time with no backup to speak of. Pretend to be a drunken couple out on a stroll, wonder strait up to the guard and take him out. Sounds simple enough until the guy clearly spots that something's not right and begins wondering towards them.

"I don't think he's buying it Castle."

He carries on towards them, looking at them like he's about to reach for a gun, so she'll beat him to it, grab her pistol and take him out before he gets a chance to do the same to them. But before she even gets it out of the holster, Castle is gripping her wrist and pulling her hand away from it.

What the hell was he doing!?

Before she could even think to say anything, his mouth was on hers and he was pulling her into his body.

As she pulled herself away from him she realised what she was doing, the guard seemed to be having second thoughts about them.

So she kissed him again, meaning it to be enough to seem genuine, but it wasn't long before her want for him took over and she was moaning into his mouth and deepening the kiss.

Oh god Kate, concentrate! The guard! His back is turned, go for it!

Then she had spun around, pistol-whipping the crook and smacking him right in the back of his neck, knocking him out cold.

"Wow, that was amazing."

Shock taking over her body as she realised what he has just said.

"They way you took him out I mean!"

It wasn't what he meant, she knew that as well as he did. Mainly because she felt it too, the perfectness of their bodies, the emotion between them. But she could deal with this later, right now she had to save Ryan and Espo.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Another job well done, the bad guy was caught, and her team mates were fine, a little damage to the ego was the worst of the aftermath. But then the memory of Castle taking out Lockwood was replaying in her memory. The sight of him beating him so brutally bringing a shiver to her spine and being terrified as to what it meant. He had a look in his eyes that she had seen before, she knew that if Lockwood had gotten a shot in and she had been hit, Castle wouldn't have held back, wouldn't have stopped.

He would have killed him there and then.

But what that said about how much he lov- cared about her, unnerved her more than the image of the pure hatred and animalistic anger in his eyes.

She had to see if he was okay.

XOXOXOXOXOX

She stumbled into the back of the ambulance soon after the medic had exited, clearly able to see that he was in pain. Saying hey to him before taking a hold of his hand and re-bandaging the damaged extremity. A few jokes were said about him acting like Chuck Norris to save her, but she thinks he took it as a compliment. Then reassuring him that Ryan and Espo would be fine.

But then she looked into his eyes and saw the sheer passion that was inside of him. He really did - her breath hitched - love her.

"Thank you, for having my back in there." Her partner, her backup, her favourite author and her best friend.

"Always."

His smile making her heart skip a beat. And as much as she would like to pretend that she only thinks of him as a friend, she loves him too.

XOXOXOXOXOX

She walked up to her apartment door, hearing noises coming from inside. Sounded like someone rustling around in the kitchen, pots and pans etc.

Crap. Josh was here. He seems to think that every time she has a long day he needs to make her dinner. She never has the heart to tell him that on those nights when he appears in her apartment to do what he thinks is his domestic duty, she usually goes to get food with Castle. But tonight she is really not in the mood.

She unlocks the door and wonders in, removing her shoes and coat before walking towards the kitchen being met by the sight of Josh, making her his favourite. Pasta. Every night he's here, he makes pasta. She's never told him her favourite is Chinese.

But then again, he's never asked.

She finds herself thinking that Castle seems to know exactly what she likes to eat, even when she craves a cheeseburger instead of chow mien. And there it was again, her being in a domestic situation, in a relationship with a man and she was thinking about Castle. History repeating itself, what was happening with Josh had happened with Demming. Except this time it wouldn't take an invite to the Hampton's to make her end it. All it would take was him opening a bottle of white wine, pouring a glass and handing to her. When she really preferred red.

But then again, he never asked.

"Hey sweety, how are you? Had a rough case? Hope the writer didn't get in the way too much!"

And that was it. He had no right to talk about Rick like that when he didn't even know him, didn't understand everything he'd ever done for her.

"Josh, we need to talk."

"What about babe?" Another thing that made her twitch, she hated being called 'babe'.

"This isn't working for me anymore, I just, don't think that we're right for each other and as much as you have been great I just can't do this any more."

XOXOXOXOXOX

She realised that the reason she never corrected Josh on his mistakes, was because she never really wanted it to go far, she didn't want him to know things about her, she hasn't even told him about her mother's murder.

The night was cold and bitter, the streets surprisingly empty for New York, she checked her watched realising why it was so quiet, 3am.

She couldn't sleep, however hard she tried.

Josh had left after one hell of a fight, mainly about why she had changed her mind about them. Then it went on to her feelings for Castle. Then finishing with him slamming her front door shut and telling her to sort her life out.

So he started thinking about how that could happen and after failing to sleep, she found herself wondering the streets of her city, no destination in mind, just time to clear her head.

And before he knows it, she's stood in front of Castle's apartment door, knocking loudly enough for him to hear, but not loudly enough to wake Martha and Alexis.

He had opened the door quicker than she expected and was still fully dressed.

It would appear she wasn't the only one with insomnia tonight.

"I'm sorry, I should have called first, the doorman let me in."

"No Kate, that's no problem, come in." She honestly had no idea how she got there or why she was there. All she knew is that she needed him right now.

After taking her coat, he placed a hand on the small of her back, escorting her over to his couch. "Do you want some wine? Did you drive here?"

"No I walked, and wine sounds perfect, thank you."

He had obviously been writing, his laptop was open, words filling up the page, she began to skim over the new chapter. Not paying too much attention to what was written as she always liked to read his books in one go, start to finish.

Oh - it was a scene where Nikki and Rook kiss, the details very similar to they're experience earlier. She noticed him walking towards her again so she leaned back into the couch, removing her shoes before tucking her feet underneath her. She always felt so comfortable in his loft, she was always made to feel at home after she stayed there months ago.

He re-appeared in moments with two glasses of Chatenauf de pape, red. That earnt a smile.

"What is it you need, Kate?" The look of concern on his face making her heart flutter.

She hesitates for a moment, not knowing how this conversation would end, but she was here now, may as well.

"Me and Josh broke up."


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all for reading still, I hope you all enjoy!**

The look on his face remained the same, still concerned but with a hint of something else.

"I just realised that it wasn't working anymore and I just needed to talk to someone."

"Kate I'm so sorry, are you sure you're okay?" He genuinely looked sad for her, but she knew as well as he did that he never liked Doctor motorcycle boy.

"I'm fine Castle, really I am, I think it just got to the point where I realised that we were just too different people and the fact that I never saw him didn't help. I just need someone who can be there for me, you know? Someone who knows me, really knows me and who wants to know more."

He sat down on the couch next to her, but facing her. The look in his eyes showing hope for them. She knew Josh was the only reason Rick had been backing off and now that obstacle wasn't in the way anymore.

"It's funny actually, I just meant to take a walk to clear my head and wound up here."

He was close enough that she knew he was thinking the same thing she was.

"Well, I'm glad you came to me. You know you can always talk to me, I'm always here for you."

She leaned in, burying her face in his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist, "I know you are Rick."

His arms had encircled her, bringing her tighter into him. She never let him touch her like this, something had changed between them. He began playing with her hair and placing light kisses on to her head.

"You're always here, with me. I need you and it took me too long to figure it out."

He stopped playing with her hair, bringing her face up in line with his.

"What are you saying, Kate?"

"I'm saying that" - here goes - "I love you, Rick and I realised tonight that, you're the only person I want to be with. You know me better than anyone else and I'm just hoping you feel the same way."

He ran his fingers through her hair, tucking a stray tendril behind her ear to see her face fully, the bandages on his hand tickling her cheek before he pulled her in to kiss her. He'd never felt this way about anyone before. It was so over powering. Pulling away, he looked into her golden-green eyes - he'll spend the rest of his life trying to figure out what colour they are - "Kate, I love you more than you could ever know."

In seconds, he had gotten to his feet and had scooped her up in his arms, carrying her towards his bedroom.

"No," he stopped looking confused.

"Office."

The smile on her face was shy, but it was a fantasy she'd always had of him taking her on his desk.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett, you kinky woman, I love it!"

With that their lips were locked as he kicked the door closed behind them.

"Martha and Alexis won't come down will they?"

"Not a chance, they sleep like the dead."

That relaxed her somewhat, as he returned to grinning into her mouth before clearing his desk in one swoop of his arm before laying her down on top of it. He started removing her shirt as he leaned down over her, kissing her repeatedly and never breaking the skin contact until absolutely necessary to remove her clothing. The proximity making it easier for her to copy his action with his shirt.

The feel of his skin on hers was something incredible, something beautiful. It felt like there were sparks dancing between the two of them, electrifying the room.

Both of their hands moved down to deal with one another's bottom half, their arms interlocking as they both began to feel the desperation to feel each other, to become one.

Eventually, after moments of struggling, Castle decided to shuck his jean himself and then deal with her trousers while she slipped her bra off.

Once completely bear, Castle began to massage her most sensitive area with his fingers while leaning down to kiss her. The feeling of him rubbing her making her wetness increase... And her patience decrease.

"You're so beautiful, Kate." His voice muffled in her cherry-scented hair.

"Castle, please, need you inside of me."

He quickly snuck two fingers into her opening to make sure she was ready for him. Her wetness and gasps reassuring him that she wanted this as much as he did.

Pulling his fingers out, he lined himself up with her before sliding easily into her, licking his fingers clean as he began rocking into her. His pace beginning to quicken as silent curses and moans were exchanges between them.

She felt herself reaching her peak before he pulled out of her suddenly, gripping her legs to bring her closer to him before yanking her up to meet his body. She wrapped her legs around his ass as he moved to pick her up and shove her against the wall, returning his manhood to it's previous place.

The change in angle creating the perfect amount of friction to her front wall, bringing her climax quicker.

She could feel him begin to twitch inside of her, the sensation making her whole body begin to shudder as she began to moan loudly, a warning of her impending release. After a few more pumps, they orgasmed in unison.

He had to use all his remaining strength to keep her from collapsing. Using his body to keep her propped up against the wall.

After a few moments passed, he was carrying her to his bedroom and laying her on his bed before disappearing to retrieve the discarded clothing before removing the sheets and sliding into bed next to her.

"So I guess it wasn't just me that felt something in the kiss earlier huh?" Castle muttered into her ear she he placed light kisses to her bear skin while his fingers danced patterns on her stomach.

"I guess not." She giggled, she was so cute. Adorable even! And the way she was looking at him like he was all she'd ever wanted making him feel incredible.

"I love you Kate." He turned to snuggle into her side, kissing her on the check.

She turned to face him, looking deep into his baby blues. "I love you too, Rick."

XOXOXOXOXOX

She was awoken by an intrusive beam of light seeping through Castle's window and the sound of mumbling coming from the kitchen. She looked over to see that Castle was gone, the bed cold so he'd clearly been up for a while.

Stumbling around, picking up her clothes and putting them on, she began to wonder towards the kitchen and was met by the sight of Rick and Alexis sat at the island chatting quietly. They quickly separated from each other, Rick waltzing over to the coffee machine before pouring her a cup. "Good morning Kate." He looked so cheery as he handed her a cup. She took it gratefully, returning his smile ten-fold.

"Hey Alexis, didn't mean to intrude." She looked shy, he'd never seen Kate shy before!

"That's fine! No intrusion, I'm just happy to see you two together. You are together now right? I don't have to deal with mopey-dad anymore?"

"Uh, we haven't had a chance to discuss that yet, we were a little busy."

Alexis' hands rose to cover her ears at her father's words. "Don't need to know that Dad!" Earning a giggle from him and a bright red face from Kate.

"Well I'm happy you two are happy!" She placed a kiss to Cher dad's cheek before pulling Kate into a tight hug and giving her a quick smile before heading out of the door for school.

"So, last night was amazing. But that was a good question, are we together? Is that what you want?" The fear in his voice putting her on edge, she didn't want him to be scared that she'll run.

"I would like us to be together, last night wouldn't have happened if I didn't want to be with you Rick."

He wondered round the island, wrapping his arms around her waist, "So that means you're my girlfriend now." A kiss pressed to her lips as he smiled. "I guess I am!" She returned the kiss, linking her hands with his before dragging him towards the bedroom.

"Where are we going, Kate?"

She turned back to look at him. "I want to test out the bed this time." She winked before he lost his ability to think and obediently followed her into the room.


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay this chapter is kind of rushed and short and a little different in nature to the previous chapters. Sorry for the lack of updates, my laptop with all the chapters I've written decided to die on me and I haven't had the time to write them all again between work! But with your forgiveness, I will do my best to update as often as I can! Hope you enjoy!**

He had appeared in her apartment about half an hour ago and they had started fighting. Josh had returned once again to her to tell her that he was going to be off again, Africa, Haiti, she was tired of it. She wanted someone who could be there for her, who knew what she was going through and someone who she actually liked enough to put up with the crap that their relationship had.

Well, wrong day, worse timing Josh. It had been a rough day to say the least, one fuck-up after another and she was not in the mood to deal with another 3 months of 'chatting when we can' and 'this will be the last time.' She was tired of it and she had given up trying to fight for a relationship that was going no-where. She would never ask him to stop doing what he loved and helping people, but for fuck sale he could just ask her before he considered going. But it didn't cross his mind. She wasn't important enough to him and yeah, may be she had her part to play in his actions because of her keeping one foot out the door but realistically, they were never meant to last.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Josh had left for the airport about 2 hours ago, exiting her apartment with bitter words about how he's wasted the past year on her when she is so clearly in love with someone else. The venom in his statement burning her chest as the anger had risen, fallen and turned to tears of rage. She had wept uncontrollably for 30 minutes strait, querying if she had made a mistake, but eventually the rage had drained from her body, flowing through the floor-boards and she was only left with her silent tears as she cuddled up on her couch.

Everything was going wrong.

Then a knock at her door.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Initially she thought it may have been Josh returning to try again, although she didn't really want it to be. But as she opened the door, debating if she'd made a mistake, there stood Castle, heart-in-hands and begging her to stop.

Terrible timing.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Who was he to tell her to back off her mother's case? He didn't know what this case had done to her, how much she had suffered with for over a decade.

Raised voices bellowed throughout the living room, jabs and taunts had been screamed between them, phrases thrown around that they didn't mean, phrases that shouldn't be said. But most of all, harsh truths were flung at her, truths like her future with Josh, her hiding in relationships with men she doesn't love. The fact that she's scared and she hides in her mother's case as a shell to protect her.

The anger began to flow through her again, restoring to it's previous heightened state when it had been Josh stood before her, not Rick.

She was angry, but he was furious. He had spent so long trying to protect her from this and for her to ask why he keeps coming back? Why he won't just duck and run? Shit! He thought it was obvious! I mean, he's not exactly subtle, she must know how he feels about her, everyone else sees it! He couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt, even if it meant never seeing her again and her spending the rest of her life with that fucking asshole. He just couldn't do it anymore, angry tears were falling down his face as he stood there in silence. Hyperventilating in a desperate attempt to calm himself down. His clenched fists shaking in a quiet rage.

"Well!?" Her voice was shrill but hoarse from her prior yelling.

"Why do you keep coming back, Rick?"

He turned, wandered towards the door before turning towards her, red-faced and trembling.

"Because I'm in love with you, Kate! Can't you see that!?"

She had stopped dead in her tracks, the rage hidden by shock, her skin pale as she stood there staring at him.

They both leaped forward for each other, hands tangling in hair, lips crashing together in a strange symphony. Tongues battled for dominance as clothing was ripped from their bodies, a haze of buttons flying, cotton swirling, limbs entangled in a phallic embrace.

Wet kiss were placed upon any bear skin that could be found, her taught nipples taken by his mouth as he worked the sensitive fletch between teeth and tongue, pinching, twisting, worshiping. The rough nature of his mouth making her hands thread through his hair, pulling at the roots, hard enough to hurt but not hard enough to discourage.

Before she knew it she was elevated in his hands, her back against the wall as her thighs were placed on either shoulder, his tongue attacking her sensitive bud as his teeth scraped along her. She was in ecstasy, the tightness in her abdomen coiling, warm heat flowing through her, she was so close.

All it took was a finger, slipping inside her and flexing against her front wall to make her climax tear through her, ripping her wide open as she screamed his name. He lapped up every drop of her wetness, turning her towards the couch before placing her on it, positioning her so she was leant over the back of it, her legs parted as she knelt on the cushions.

She was given all of thirty seconds to re calibrate her senses an prepare herself before he thrust himself into her, causing a loud gasp and obscenities being thrown around in the air.

"God Kate, you're so wet." The only statement made before he began to rock into her wildly, gripping her hips tightly to keep her from shifting away from him.

She felt herself start to shake with pleasure, contradicting the stinging sensation on her knees from the friction burns that she was quickly picking up. He loved that she was a vocal lover, it's always how he had imagined her. Feeling the heat in his stomach rise, he curled his right arm around her lower abdomen and his left arm around her chest, lifting her up so his torso was touching her back. His fingers began to stroke and toy with her nipples, his new change of angle rewarded by a loud, throaty moan from the brunet.

His pace began to increase as he muttered in her ear; "You're mine, Kate, you're mine and I love you." The possessive statement making her wetness increase, loving the way his whole being encircled her, covering her entirely. Her reply was pushed out through gasps and moans, "God, Rick, I'm yours, I'm yours."

The final words making her second climax even more vicious and perfect as her walls closed around his length, causing him to spill into her with a groan.

XOXOXOXOXOX

After another 2 or 3 rounds, they had collapsed on to her living room floor, beads of sweat dripping from their bodies as they panted, desperately trying to recovering their normal breathing.

"That was, amazing." He mustered up through gasps.

"I know." Her reply equally as raspy.

She rolled on to her side, looking at him, tousled hair, a shine off his skin from the sweat. He looked perfect.

"Rick," he looked down to meet her gaze, "I love you too."


	8. Chapter 8

**Once again guys sorry for the really late updates, been busy with work and now moving so I'm writing as much as I can! Other than that, hope you all enjoy!**

_Tick, Tick, Tick - 2x17 _

_"I will have you know Mr Castle, I sleep with a gun."_

He couldn't have taken it like that, could he? She was panicking, she meant for it to come out somewhere near sudden death and servere bodily harm, but from the look on his face it didn't have the desired effect. He had risen to his feet from the couch and began strutting over to her until he was WAY too inside her personal space. Close enough to share the same breaths.

Without any physical contact present, she could still feel him, his essence, his aura. His heat flowed over her body, his scent enchanted her nostrils, his breath slightly tickling her face.

He was so close.

Too close.

"Just so you know, Detective, I find that very, very kinky." His eyes were a deep blue, his skin becoming hotter. He tilted his head slightly as he moved closer to take in the smell of her. Her veins went white hot. She could feel the want pulsing around her body, mixing with her blood, filling her completely. She had to think, had to breathe! But he looks so delicious right now in his black pull-over, armed with wit and charm to protect her from a mad man.

"Castle, I-"

"Kate, just tell me to stop and I will." She looked deep into his eyes and saw sincerity. He would stop if she asked him to and he would hold nothing against her for doing it. Which made it so much harder to say no.

He placed his hands on her hips, the thinness of the baggy t-shirt she was wearing allowed her to feel the heat of his palms, even though they weren't on her skin. He slowly pulled her forward, closing the minute gap that was between them before lowering his head to kiss her neck, the fact that her hair was tied back was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it made it easier to taste the soft skin of her neck while keeping his hands firmly on her, but a curse because he wants so badly to press his nose into those cherry-scented chestnut locks and inhale until he couldn't smell anything else.

She began to moan ever so quietly as his tongue danced across her jugular, down her collarbone, the vibrating vocal chords tickling his lips through her skin. He slowly raised his lips to hers, tenderly parting them with his tongue, she tasted divine, all the fancy meals in all the restraints he's ever been to could compare the delicacy that is Kate Beckett's mouth. His tongue drifted lightly over the roof of her mouth, causing a gasp. They were fluid, perfectly in-synce. No battle for dominance, just harmony as their mouths mingled.

His hands began to slide down her sides, over her leggings before climbing back up, taking the for-mentioned top with them. She silently thanked that she had picked a top that was so easy to get off before her mind went blank at the feel of his hands on her body. She hadn't even noticed the break in the kiss and her top being removed until she felt it pool on her foot, the light sensation grounding her in reality, if only for a moment until he was kissing her again.

His hands glided over her back as she was brought into his body, enveloped in his embrace. Her hands had moved to his stomach, under his clothing, her fingers skimmed over the soft skin she found there. Enjoying the way it became taught under her touch and leave a trail of goosebumps where her fingers had been. Se began to relieve him of the clothing on his torso, leaving his strong body open to her.

The feeling of skin on skin caused sparks between them, electrifying the room. They were buzzing and humming with sexual need for each other. But neither of them sped up, they were in no rush and wanted to enjoy every single second of having one another for the first time.

He unclipped her bra, gliding his hands up to slide the straps down her shoulders before he stepped back slightly, seeing her perky mounds fully for the first time. He think he may have been staring a little too long as she began to get that self-conscious look on her face. He began to worry, meeting her golden-emerald eyes he whispered something she would always remember.

"You're perfect."

The most amazing thing that occurred at that moment was the fact that Richard Castle telling her this, made her believe it for the first time in her life. Made her think that even with the baggage and damage she had with her, she could still have someone in the world who thought she was perfect.

Her smile was adorable, her head tilted slightly down but with her eyes still looking up to meet his. The innocence he saw in this woman in that look made him want to protect her even more. But the sweet smile quickly turned sexy as she took his hand in hers and began leading him into her bedroom, flicking on the light and kicking the door shut. It was seconds before he was on her again, arms wrapped tightly around her and gently pushing her back towards the bed. When the back of her knees were touching the bed, he leaned forward as she fell back, allowing him to place her on her mattress without breaking the contact that they were enjoying so much.

He began to pepper kisses down her body until her reached the seam of her leggings, hooking his fingers in and slowly and torturously slipped them off her legs until she was left bear to him, exposed completely to his hungry eyes.

He began to place sloppy kisses to her inner thighs before parting her knees. His tongue slipping up her thigh as he lapped up the wetness that had been escaping earlier, following it's sweet trail until her arrived at the juncture of her legs, his mouth closing in over the tiny bundle of nerves at her core. Sucking on it lightly as he looked up to see her body writhing in pleasure, twisting and turning and moaning in a symphony matching the works of Bach and Mozart.

He began to work her with his mouth, gliding his teeth over the bud before sliding two fingers inside her, pumping at a slow, but pleasurable pace. He curled his fingers slightly and she squeaked. A noise he would never forget and want to draw from her every day, forever. He could feel her climax approaching, her walls beginning to clench around his fingers just before they fluttered, accompanied by a vocal moan as as her orgasm took her.

Once her senses had come back to her, she found he had climbed up her body and was now face-to-face with her. His actions had caused her to move further up the bed until the top of her head rested just under her pillows, making it easier for them both to adjust enough to place her head in the centre of the pillows.

He was looking into her eyes still, he was ready, he had abandoned the rest of his clothing while she was still seeing spots. He was perched at her entrance, keeping his weight on his elbows to hold him above her, but he wasn't moving, he was just watching, waiting.

It hit her, he's waiting for permission. He would still stop if she said no, even now. But she didn't want him to stop.

"Rick, I want this, I want you." Her tone was so caring and tender, not sex-driven as would be expected. She really wanted him, not just for sex right now, she wanted him completely and from the look in his eyes, he felt the same way.

With the omission out in the open, he began to move into her until he was completely sheathed inside her, the feeling causing loud moans from both of them as well as shivers dancing down their spines.

She was grateful for the fact that he had stretched her slightly with his fingers first as it had been a while and his manhood was like everything else about him; larger than life.

He began to rock into her, building up a slow rhythm as he alternated between kissing her name into her skin, sucking lightly on her throat and pressing passionate kisses to her lips. He felt like heaven, like he was everywhere on her body at the same time, smothering her skin possessively and worshiping her whole body. She had never felt like this before and she knew as well as he did that it wasn't just physical, they were emotionally connected to a point where neither of them had been before. This fallacious act simply joining them further, becoming one. Two halves of the same soul. Yin and yang. Harmony.

She shifted her legs so they were now wrapped tightly around his abdomen, the change in angle causing her vision to fail once again as her moans became louder through the gasps. He was carrying her up to her peak; "I love you" dangling on her lips but not quite coming out as he launched her off. Her walls closing around him, he emptied himself into her with a guttural groaning of her name. Harmony.

Once they had come back to themselves, he began to roll of her but was stopped when her legs tightened around him, keeping him close.

"Stay for a few more minutes, like this." She managed out between ragged breaths, his reply a simple nod before he began kissing her again.

He didn't need to ask if this was a one night stand, if this meant anything to her. He could feel it in her embrace that she wanted this as badly as he did.

Before he fell asleep, he turned his head to face Kate, now cuddled up into his side and inhaled her cherry-scent. It was always how he imagined.


	9. Chapter 9

_3x11 - 'Nikki Heat'_

**Okay so according to something I read somewhere, episodes 11 and 12 of season 3 were switched around. This means that Rick did NOT cheat on Gina AND more importantly, he said no to Natalie Rhodes purely because of Kate. So I have decided to alter the episodes back so Rick and Gina have already broken up :) hope you all enjoy, keep following and review if you have the time!**

"If it's so adorable why didn't you sleep with me?"

There was a seconds silence while she contemplated exactly what she had just asked her partner.

Her being Beckett and him being Castle, she needed to clarify what she meant; "Her me not me me."

She was staring at her clone, did she really do that? She had taken her coffee, her look and more importantly she had tried to take her partner. She even had the audacity to ask if he was gay, just because he wouldn't sleep with her. Although, even she had been surprised that the playboy had turned down a wild night of 'research' with the actress. That stirred up a lot of thoughts that she didn't really want to get into right now.

She had to think of her plan of attack before the Beckett army attacked. She could always just unholster her glock, make a preemptive strike...

Kate had been so focused on what Natalie was doing he knew she hadn't noticed how close he had gotten to her, his hand skimming her butt, lightly enough that she wouldn't react. He could smell her cherry hair from this distance. Ever since him and Gina had ended, he couldn't help himself around Kate. He had dumped her because they weren't in love, what he had left out was the fact that a key reason they weren't in love was because he was very much in love with someone else.

He had to think of an answer for her other than "because I'd rather have the real thing," but sadly his brain was not quite able to function fully when he could smell her natural scent, the fresh smell of her skin. It was faint, hidden under the more potent smells of her shampoo and her detergent. But he could still smell it, still imagine waking up with the smell on his sheets, his skin.

God he wanted to know what her other smells were.

All he could think of was hurrying up to answer her, capturing the scent and then heading home to remember that smell while he did what he had to do to maintain a professional atmosphere around Kate.

"Oh well a fictional character that I wrote based on you played by Natalie Rhodes its just way to... Meta." - nice save, he thinks she even bought it!

XOXOXOXOXOX

It had been running through her head all day; why did he say no? He had no obligations and the man the media loved to portray wouldn't have turned Miss Rhodes down. So what stopped him?

Her mind kept coming to the same conclusion but each time the words ran over her brain, she tried to think of something else, tried to think how it couldn't possibly be that, could it?

He said no because of me.

She had to know, but she had to do something else first.

XOXOXOXOXOX

She had made it to the hospital twenty minutes after Josh had told her he was free to talk.

It had been a difficult decision to make, but she couldn't stay in this relationship. She was so angry with Castle when she thought he had slept with Beckett 2.0 and the rush of relief she found in the truth made her realise that she didn't care if her clone had stolen Josh, she cared that her clone attempted to steal Castle.

This was going to be an interesting conversation...

XOXOXOXOXOX

He had noticed that she seemed a little distracted when she arrived back at the precinct, but after a quick 'are you okay' and her simple one syllable reply, even Castle knew better than to keep probing. He hoped she would confide in him eventually, but it had been a weird case. It was all wrapped up and Natalie Rhodes was heading back to LA, without another notch on her bedpost. He kept thinking about how he had thought about saying yes to her, but every time he saw her, all he wanted was Kate.

He was sat at his desk, staring at his laptop with no success of putting a single word on the page. The light was dim, the single lamp casting shadows all around the office. The light reflecting off the glass in his hands made a scattering rainbow pattern. He took a sip of his scotch, he wasn't trying to get drunk, he just wanted to relax after a long, very confusing day. The thoughts of Kate swirling around in his head like the warm brown liquid in his glass, she could never be replaced.

The memory of her smell invaded his senses, god he wanted to have it all over him, to taste her skin on his tongue.

There was a knock at the door, Alexis and Martha were already in bed and he wasn't expecting anyone else. Another knock.

He wondered over to the door, opening it and being met by the sight of his detective, all legs and dark tousled auburn, chocolate locks. He had to keep the smile of pleasant surprise from blooming on his lips.

"Kate, what a surprise, please come in!"

He ushered her in, placing a hand on the small of her back, ecstatic that she did nothing to stop the physical contact. He took her coat from her shoulders, hanging it the same spot it was always hung when she had stayed when she lost her apartment, he missed her being here.

They wondered over to the couch, taking a seat on either side but facing each other. The near-empty bottle of scotch making the dim light scatter into stars on the table, he'd been drinking but he didn't seem drunk and she couldn't smell alcohols on his breath, she came to the conclusion that it had been an old bottle but kept an eye out.

"I didn't really feel like going home, I went back to the precinct to finish up the paperwork and just hoped you were awake." She smiled shyly, this was new, but he liked it. They didn't talk as much since Josh had entered her life and Gina had returned to his.

"That's fine I was just writing, couldn't sleep for some reason." The silence filled the air, undertones of untold feelings and secrets swirling around them. They never broke eye-contact the whole time the comfortable silence went on.

"Strange case, it just kind of freaked me out, you know having a doppelgänger running around the precinct. It was strange, made me really look at myself." She looked down at that point, scared where this conversation would lead.

She didn't really want to talk, she was scared but she didn't want to leave, didn't want to loose this contact with him.

"Would it be okay if I just stayed here a while? Just watch a movie or something? I hear Forbidden Planet is playing on tv tonight."

His smile blossomed, so did hers. He nodded to her before picking up the remote and turning the tv on, finding the channel and sitting back.

In moments after the main titles had come on, he felt a warmth at his side, Kate had moved the few inches to close the space between them, leaning into his side bellow his arm. The same arm that then wrapped around her, holding her closer to him as his fingers began playing with her hair.

Every tendril he moved with his hand sent a new waft of cherries into his nose, he loved it. He was confused as hell as to what was going on, but he knew Kate Beckett better than to ask and risk a good thing. The film had started and she her eyes were glued to the screen, her hand placing light circles on his thigh as she watched the movie.

But his eyes didn't leave her the whole time, he was scared that if he looked away, she'd disappear, vanish like she did every morning as he woke up back into reality. He didn't want to miss a minute of this.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Kate woke up a few hours later, the film had been over for about an hour and Rick had been replaced by pillows and a blanket. She stood slowly, still waiting for the sleep to drain from her eyes and her legs to steady themselves at the change of blood flow. She wandered around the loft quickly, checking the kitchen and his office. Only one place he could be.

She wondered over to his bedroom door, it was cracked open, a tiny portion of light beaming through the darkness. She knocked.

No response.

Opening the door slowly, she peered through, waiting for her senses to adjust to the darkness. She couldn't see him, but she could hear something, sounded like running water.

She entered the room slowly, noticing the light beaming from underneath the en suite door, accompanied by the mist of steam seeping out. He was in the shower.

Her skin began to heat at the thought of him stood there without a stitch. Warm water cascading down his body, reddening his skin. She couldn't help herself, before she even knew what she was doing she had opened the door and stepped in.

The shower was opposite her, she could see his outline through the steam, barely, but still recognisable. She stepped closer to him, able to see him more clearly now. He was facing away from her, water rushing down his back, flowing over his toned ass, the reflecting light increasing the definition of his muscles. He looked positively edible.

One palm was on the wall, steadying him, the other arm was hidden out of sight by his body, the muscles on his back and shoulders on the same side flexed in a repetitive fashion. She didn't realise what the other arm was doing until she heard a small groan coming from him.

Oh - he was... Oh, okay.

The realisation of his actions making the desire in her grow, heat seeping down her stomach and lower.

She began to remove her clothing, letting her jeans drop to her ankles and her top pool at her feet. Slipping her bra down her shoulders and kicking her lace panties off, she opened the door silently and stepped inside.

The only indication of her presence had been the swift changing in temperature as the heat had flown out of the glass box. He turned to see her standing bare in front of him, he couldn't believe his eyes, he even pinched himself slightly to double check he was awake.

She moved closer to him, slipping her arms around his neck and standing under the warm spray, she began to kiss him tenderly, her tongue slipping into his mouth and drawing out a long moan. He wrapped his arms around her lower back, pressing their skin together, the feeling of his manhood slippery against her abdomen resulting in her own wetness coating her inner thighs before mixing with the shower water and running down the drain.

He moved his hands lower, slipping his large hands under her thighs, scooping her legs up to rest on either side of his hips. Steadying himself on his feet, he pressed her body against the tiles, kissing down her neck to her collar bone.

"God Kate, I've wanted you for so long."

She couldn't muster up the brain power to give a coherent reply and so settled for an audible moan. She reached down between them, grabbing him, rubbing his length at the juncture of her thighs before raising herself up and lowering her onto him. Sinking slowly, inch by inch onto his pulsing member, relishing the feeling of him filling her to the brim.

He moved her sopping wet hair from her shoulder to bite her name into the tender flesh, loving the small gasps that he brought to her lips as he nibbled and bit at her in time with each thrust.

He was working her up to her climax, caressing her breast with one free hand and holding her up with the other. She was nearly at the top of her peak when he bit down on her pulse-point, enough to launch her into ecstasy.

She had to bite down hard onto his neck to stop the scream from escaping her lips and waking up the whole house.

Once she had come back to herself, he placed her down, holding her before her legs steadied. Once her balance came back to her, he turned her, leading her back forward so her ass was pointing towards him slightly, her palms flat against the wall in front of her. He nudged her legs open further before aligning himself with her entrance before sliding into her slick heat bringing out a joint groan from the couple.

He placed his hands on her hips before pumping into her once again, building up his rhythm to it's former state. Before he knew it she was close again, her walls tightening around him. He wrapped an arm around her stomach and began to rub and pinch her sensitive bud. He couldn't take much more and needed to speed her up. He placed kisses to her back when he felt her walls begin to flutter around him. Just before she began to moan again, he spilled inside her, moaning harmoniously with her.

XOXOXOXOXOX

After they had washed each other, they had exited the shower and were wondering into his bedroom before he stopped in his tracks, turning to her with a concerned look in his eyes.

"I need to know what this is Kate." His deep blue eyes filled with fear of the oncoming conversation.

"I mean, you show up here and we're all cuddly on the couch and you give me no explanation as to what's going on, you were acting weird at the precinct when you came back from lunch and I don't know if I could handle a note tomorrow saying this was a one-off and you were confused and you've gone back to Josh." His head dropped to the floor, he was so scared he couldn't look her in the eyes .

"I broke up with him, at lunch. I couldn't understand why I felt so angry when I thought you had slept with Natalie. I mean it's not like you didn't have the opportunity and you had no obligations, so it took me a while to realise the reason you said no to her. Which then made me realise why I was so mad."

She placed her hand to his check, lifting his head up to look into his eyes.

"We've been doing this plutonic dance from so long that we'd buried our true feelings and I didn't want to live like that anymore. I don't want to live like that. I want us to be honest with each other about how we feel because I don't want to loose you again like I did with Gina."

He placed his hand over hers, kissing her palm lightly.

"I'd never felt so heart broken until I saw you two walking away from me, heading off to the Hampton's vacation that we should have been going on. I never want to feel like that again and the longer I wait, the more chance there would be for you to find someone else and I'd spend the rest of my life wondering what could have been."

He nodded in understanding, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He tooled her hand from his face, lacing their fingers and leading her to the bed, folding back the comforter and drawing her into bed.

Once they had settled in, she had snuggled into his side, playing with the dusting of hair on his chest while he stroked up and down the bare skin of her back.

"Kate, as long as we're being honest -" her head tilted up slightly to look at his face, "I love you. I have for a long time."

Her smile grew wildly as she began to sit up, looking down at him she replied, "I love you too, Rick." The sound of his given name rolling off her tongue felt new, intimate, but right. She leaned down to kiss him passionately before he tugged her to straddle him, beginning round two.

This was the start of something incredible, one of a kind, beautiful...

Perfect.


	10. Chapter 10

**I am so sorry for the lack of updates but moving has been crazy and i've only just had Internet installed! I am also off to America for 10 days now so I will update when I have wifi! Sorry again and I hope you all enjoy!**

_4x19 - 47 Seconds _

_"I was shot in the chest and I remember every second of it."_

She was tired, exhausted actually by the time they'd finally finished the case. It had been one no one in the precinct or New York would forget. For once instead of having to stop a bomb, they had to deal with the aftermath of one. She'd finally gotten home and began to soak in the tub, washing away the stress and carnage of the day. She intended to soak her body until the water went cold, let the bubbles seep into the pours of every inch of her skin until she was completely clean.

She couldn't bring herself to focus enough to read a book, so she led there, lost in her thoughts of today.

But she wasn't thinking about the case, she was thinking about why Castle had been avoiding her all day, acting strange and vanishing when she had asked him out for drinks. She wondered what he might have said to her if he hasn't been interrupted, would he have pushed her deadline forward a bit and asked her out? Told her he loved her... Again.

She winces every time she thinks of it, his voice echoing in her mind - 'I love you, Kate.' - and she couldn't even admit that she heard him, loud and clear. She was awake and PTSD had not caused her mind to go blank of the events that day.

Thinking about it made a pit form in her stomach, causing the organ to twist and turn, making her feel sick to the point of pain. He loves her, she loves him. Why couldn't she just say something? She kept telling herself she wasn't ready, she was still healing. She couldn't be with him until her mother's case was out of the way. But really, she was just scared. Scared that it could go wrong, scared that she'll loose the first real best friend she'd ever had. But that didn't change how she felt, she still had the longing, wanting, needing feeling that he brought to her soul every time he looked in her eyes. The heat that crawled up her body every time they touched.

The curiousness of how he would taste, how his skin would feel slick and slippery on hers as he made love to her.

Her hand began to trace her skin, starting from the top of her collar bone and sliding slowly down, skimming over her naval until it rested at the juncture of her thighs. She slowly began to move her fingers, rubbing her sensitive bud before slipping a single finger into her opening, the bath water mingling with her own wetness.

Thoughts of him touching her in the same way increasing her pleasure tenfold, thoughts of him taking her while she whimpered against his skin. She was already close and all it took was a pinch of her bud and she was moaning loudly into the humid air, the sound echoing through her empty apartment.

She slumped back in her tub, completely spent, but with a resinating hunger still dwelling within her. She knew that she could only really be fully satisfied by having the real thing.

The cold temperature of the water being masked by her own body heat after her climax, but once the heat had subsided, she escaped from the chilly cocoon of her bath and began to wrap a towel round herself when her actions were interrupted by a knocking at the door.

Sighing to herself, she dropped the towel to the floor and instead reached for her robe, hating the way it clung to her damp skin as she tried to force her arms through the holes.

She began to walk towards the door, wrapping the robe around her and tightening it around her waist as she went, silently praying that whoever it was hadn't been there long enough to hear her cries.

As she got to the door, there was another knock, louder this time.

"Who is it?" Her voice still slightly horse.

"It's Castle."

Shit.

The man she was just pleasuring herself over was now at her door, she had to make a quick decision to either make him wait while she changed it answer the door like this. She didn't want to risk him leaving if she made him wait, he didn't sound in a patient mood. So she opened the door, met by the sight of him, 6 ft of tall, dark and handsome.

The look on his face at her attire increasing the fire that already burned inside of her. It was the same look she knew was slapped over her face. A wanting curiosity that threatened to consume them both.

But something in his eyes changed when he met her gaze, his became stone-faced and cold. She wasn't sure what was happening or why he was here, but she was sure her question were going to be answered.

"Sorry, I know I should have called ahead but I need to talk to you."

She shook her head dismissing his comment about calling ahead while stepping aside to allow him entry. He stepped inside, walking with purpose to her living room before turning to face her.

"I need you to be honest with me Kate." He paused to make sure he had her full attention as she followed him over to the couches although she didn't sit down.

"I need to know what we are, because I can't take anymore of these games we play, dancing around the line that takes us to a point where I thought we both wanted to be."

Her breath hitched, she was scared.

Not this time, she wouldn't run this time, it had been months since the shooting and he was still here, waiting for her to be ready to be with him. She would do what he wanted, she would be honest.

"I was at the precinct when you were interviewing the pick-pocket kid. I was watching you in the box with him" - her breath hitched, a lump so big forming in her throat that she could barely breathe - "I heard you saying you remember everything. Is that true? Do you remember me telling you," - he paused to swallow clearly suffering the same effects as her, tears slightly filling his eyes as he pushed through the pain to finished his sentence - "me telling you that I love you?"

Her eyes dropped to the floor, she should have realised, he disappeared just after she had finished the interrogation and he'd been in the precinct. Oh god, how could she have done this!? This man has stood by her through so much and is now stood in front of her, nearly in tears because she lied to him. She couldn't stand this, she was in emotional agony, she had hurt him so badly she hated herself.

"I'm so sorry Rick." Her voice was so quiet he barely heard her.

He exhaled deeply, running his hands through his hair and turning from side to side, almost like he was beginning to pace, like he couldn't decide if he wanted to run or not.

"So you lied to me, because you didn't feel the same and you what? Wanted to string me along forever, filled with false hope that we could be together one day?"

She finally met his eyes, tears streaming down her face.

"It's not like that Rick, I was trying to heal and I was scared that if we took that next step it would ruin us and I couldn't have that Rick, I can't loose you. I need you!"

"But you don't love me? Kate, I've waited for you for so long, I'm so in love with you and I just need to know if I've been waiting for no reason or if there is a chance for us."

She walked over to him slowly, her eyes staring at the floor until she was inches away from him. Her deep green eyes exploring his azure irises.

"I'm so sorry Rick, I shouldn't have lied to you, I have loved you for a long time." She tilted her head up to skim her lips against his, praying he would kiss her back.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her away slightly, enough so he could look into her eyes. The fear evident in her face.

But his eyes weren't angry, his pupils dilated to the point where the blue was almost all gone. His breathing came fast and shallow as his tongue poked out slightly to wet his bottom lip, looking down as he watched her hands find her robe tie, loosening the knot before slowly removing the material from her shoulders and letting it fall to pool at her feet.

He kept his hands at his side, terrified to make a wrong move in case she fled again.

She leaned up to whisper into his ear, her lips skimming his lobe as she spoke; "Touch me, Rick." She began to nibble on his ear, sucking it lightly as his hands began to roam her flesh, palming every inch and ever curve she had to offer while she kissed down his face, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss, tongues dancing and mingling in a fluid motion. God he loved her, she tasted Devine.

His lips traced down her collar bone to her breast as she began to undo his belt, slipping it through the rings and starting work on his trousers. He began to suck lightly on nipple, the feeling drawing a small gasp from her lips when her hand ventured into his pants, under his boxers as she began to rub him slowly, takin her time and covering his entire length with each stroke. He was rock hard and throbbing with pressure, the feel of her hand on him seriously not helping his situation.

His hand slipped lower until he was rubbing his fingers through her valley of pleasure, pinching her sensitive bundle of nerves, almost repeating her actions only a few minutes ago. The sensation making her moan loudly as she finally experienced his skilled writer hands at work, dipping in an out of her, drawing out her essence to coat the area around her opening, making the sensation feel even better.

He couldn't take this slow for play much longer, he needed to be inside her pronto. He did a final thrust of his fingers into her and curled them, resulting in her crying out in pleasure, her walls fluttering around his fingers as her legs failed her and he had to catch her with his free arm.

A few moments passed before he came back to herself, he was holding her close, leaning down to whisper to her; "Kate, are you okay?" The only response she could muster was a nod before he swept her up and carried her to her bedroom, kicking the door shut and laying her across her bed, ridding himself of his remaining clothes before crawling up the bed to meet her eye level.

He began to kiss her again as she fully came back to reality, skimming her foot up his now bare leg.

"Make love to me Rick."

He met her eyes once again before nestling his hips at the juncture of her thighs, poised in position above her entrance. He leaned down to press one last kiss to her lips before sinking deep inside her, filling her to the hilt and sheathing himself fully, a loud groan came from both of them as they relished the feel of each other.

He held still for a moment until she had adjusted to his size, but then pulled out nearly all the way before pumping into her again, repeating this pattern and falling in love with the slight squeak she made every time he thrusts into her wet heat.

She could feel herself climbing that mountain again, the top of her peak approaching fast. She wrapped her legs around his ass, the change in angle allowing him to slide against the front wall of her opening, bringing her climax quicker than she could have imagined.

It only took a few more pumps before she was breaking apart, shattering around him as she was launched off her peak, him following soon after, spilling his seed into her muffling his cries in her cherry hair. The harmonious moans of the couple filling the room as their bodies lay slick against each other, the only movement now coming from their breathing.

"I love you, Rick. I love you so much."

He moved his head to rest his forehead against hers, their eyes still closed, "I love you too." They knew the should move, but for some reason neither of them could bring themselves to loose this contact, this connection. They just remained their in each others embrace, they were the only two people in the world and they were so, so in love.


	11. Chapter 11

**sorry for not updating, I'm a terrible but also very busy person! This chapter is a little different but it's something I wanted to try, please enjoy and review :)**

She was light and soft in his arms as he cradled her, rocking slightly to add comfort. It had been about 10 minutes since she had arrived at his loft and began weeping terribly, slipping her hands around his waist, under his shirt but on top of the t-shirt he wore beneath it. He knew exactly what was wrong, why she was here.

It was that time of year again and with all the developments that had appeared in the case it was no wonder that the anniversary of loosing her mother would take such a toll on the poor detective.

He held her close to him, stroking her hair from root to tip while placing light kisses on the top of her head. He'd forgotten the height difference between them when she wasn't in her power-heals. Her head tucked perfectly under his chin, his arms wrapped easily around her. They fit together perfectly, like the final pieces of a jigsaw put in place to reveal a beautiful masterpiece.

"I miss her Castle." Her voice was so soft and quiet he almost didn't hear her, her words almost lost, muffled in his chest.

"I know Kate, I know."

Once she had regained her composure, he had escorted her to the couch, sitting her down before disappearing. Her eyes had been closed for a few moments, the post-tears tiredness finally pulling her into a sleepy haze until he returned to her side, a freshly made cup of espresso and a bowl of ice-cream in hand. After handing it to her, he turned on the one thing that he knew made her feel like home; Temptation Lane. She was astonished that he had remembered the brief conversation that had occurred so long ago, but it was just what she needed.

She quickly finished the ice-cream, gently placing the empty bowl on his coffee table before taking her cup of coffee, a smile gracing her face as she saw the heart-shape drifting atop the radiant drink. She took a sip, letting the warm liquid drift down her throat and warm her stomach. She looked up at Castle who was doing his best to watch the television show that was too cheesy, even for him.

She moved to lean into his side, curling her legs up to her chest as his arm wrapped around her, bringing her closer. She couldn't describe how safe she felt in his warm embrace, his arm encircling her like a shield that couldn't be penetrated. She placed the coffee on the table knowing that in her tired state she may well spill it on him which would definitely ruin this moment, this moment that she never wanted to end.

She was grateful that he had simply responded to her rather than ask questions. He knew what she needed, knew that she needed him right now and he gave her his all. She needed to give her all to him, she felt the magic between them. The beauty of the moment when all they were doing was watching a stupid show, cuddled up on the couch as his hand stroked along her ribs and her side while he placed light but sweet kisses to her cherry hair. She could feel him inhaling her scent, but she wouldn't make a joke about him being creepy because, well, she was breathing him in too. Letting his entire smell fill her lungs as she snuggled deeper into his body, she was safe here, loved here. Her hand absently tracing circles on his thigh, while her other hand reached for his hand that wasn't dancing across her side and, once finding it, linking her fingers through his and drawing it down off of the arm of the couch to her cheek where she leaned her head down to his knuckles and caressed them ever so lightly with her lips. After her day today, this was perfect. The first time she has had a happy moment on this anniversary. She never wanted to leave this place, with him.

* * *

After a few more episodes of temptation lane, he looked down to see her sleeping soundly snuggled into his side. He should move, he thinks about moving but he's scared that if he wakes her then she'll leave so he's stays a while longer, watching her even breathing as she occasionally twitches and kisses his hand in her sleep.

After a few more minutes, he carefully removed himself for the warm tangle of their limbs before carefully resting her head on a pillow and bringing a blanket back to lay over her, careful not to disturb the sleeping detective before heading to the kitchen and beginning to make dinner in anticipation of his daughter's return home from her placement.

* * *

He was half way through cutting up the ingredients for his carbonara sauce when he heard the door, looking up to see his daughter removing her coat before meeting his eyes and smiling. He placed a finger to his lips before pointing in Kate's direction, the redhead snuck in silently to her father's side, embracing him while they both looked over to the sleeping detective.

"Is she okay? Lanie told me Kate wouldn't be in today."

"Yeah she's fine, she just needed to rest and needs family around her today. Although this is nearly ready so could you wake her up for me?"

Alexis looked up to her father before nodding and wandering over to the brunet, slipping behind the detective on the couch and hugging her tightly.

"Detective Beckett? Kate? Food is ready."

Kate stirred and turned to embrace the redhead before quietly mumbling "I'm awake, I'm awake."

The younger girl stood and took Kate's hands, pulling her up from the couch to bring her to the stools around the island.

"How long was I out?" She rubbed her eyes with the ball of her hand before dragging her fingers through her hair.

"A few hours, thought you'd be hungry." He gave her his charming smile as she nodded, inhaling the warming aroma.

"That smells amazing actually and I'm starving."

Alexis escaped to her room to change out of her scrubs leaving the two adults alone. Castle turned the stove down to simmer the sauce before walking round the island to Kate and wrapping his arms around her, whispering into her ear; "Are you okay?"

Her only response was nodding and burying her head into his chest before pulling away from him, taking his hand; "Thank you for today. It really helped. Her hand slipping up to caress his cheek, pulling his head down to hers, inches away from his face, staring at his lips and creeping forward.

"What time is dinner ready?" Alexis reappearing causing the two individuals to jump apart, a blush spreading across Kate's face. Alexis completely oblivious to they're actions simply wandered over to the fridge and taking out a bottle of water.

"Ready now pumpkin." He took Kate's hand giving her a look which said 'this isn't over', causing the detective to smile wildly and turn even redder.

* * *

After a gorgeous meal filled with laughter as Castle did everything in his power to make Kate smile, they had retired to the couch with a glass of wine each as Alexis told the two about her day. Kate felt oddly comfortable in the moment, as if it was an every day occurrence of listening to her daughter telling her about the events of the day. She could get used to this.

Alexis had ventured off to bed after kissing her father goodnight and hugging Kate tightly. Castle had moved to sit next to Kate as he topped up her wine glass, cautiously attempting to start the conversation about their earlier encounter.

"So, feeling better?" She smiled in response, taking his hand again; "I mean it Castle, thank you for today. I really needed this."

"Whatever I can do to help, you know that Kate." She gripped his hand tighter, her eyes lowering to her lap before he broke the silence.  
"Want to watch a film?" Her eyes meeting his before shaking her head, taking his glass and placing both their drinks on the table before moving to straddle his waist.

"No more distractions." Was the last thing she said before she leant down slowly, placing a light kiss to his lips as his hands rose to rest at her thighs, his thumbs skimming the skin under the hem of her shirt. She gasped when his hands began to skim under her shirt, rising higher to run against her ribs as her tongue invaded his mouth, tasting deeply of him.

He lowered his hands to grip her buttocks firmly before standing up, the squeak of surprise leaving her lips muffled by his tongue as he began to carry her to his bedroom. Her legs were wrapped around his body and her arms were linked around his neck, attempting to pull her body impossibly close to his.

He opened the door to his bedroom before slamming it shut with her body, pinning her tightly against it with his body. He removed her hands from her ass to move up her body, slowly lifting her T-shirt over her head. She whimpered when the kiss was broken but then he buried his face between her breasts, nuzzling into the scar that had almost taken her from him, kissing the soft tissue before she undid her bra and slipped the material off of her shoulders. He attacked her nipple with his tongue and teeth, sucking on the delicate mound and drawing out breathy moans from the woman he was ravishing.

She managed to push words out between gasps to mumble "Rick, need more, need you." With that he had turned them around, laying her across the bed and beginning to pop the buttons of her jeans until she stopped him. He looked up confused and concerned until she leant up to whisper "My turn" in his ear.

Suddenly she had flipped them, he was now sitting on the bed as she pushed his shirt down his shoulders, sliding off the T-shirt bellow it before sucking and biting her way down his chest. Stopping only to remove his jeans and then being met by the sight of his engorged member, stretching his boxers to the point of bursting. It twitched as she began to run her teeth along him, over the material leaving damp marks on his boxers where her saliva was seeping through. After a few more torturous moments, she reached into his pants, rubbing him before pulling his length out to view in all it's glory, he gasped as she took his entire length into her mouth. He grappled with the covers on his bed, gripping and squeezing more each time she repeated her actions, pulling him out to the top before pushing herself down on him even more.

He couldn't take much more.

"Kate you need to stop, otherwise I will be done for the next hour."

She released him with a loud pop before removing the clothing that smothered her lower half, dis guarding the on the floor before clambering up him and lining him up with her opening.

"You ready?" The words sneaking out through a sexy smile.

His reply was simply his large hands grabbing her hips and sinking into her roughly, her cries of pleasure making his erection begin to hurt with the building pressure. He began to pump into her in a steady but hard rhythm as she placed her hands on his chest to steady her, her arms assisting her to rise and fall onto him as his hips met hers in powerful thrusts.

As they both began to climb the mountain together - him a little further up than her for obvious reasons - their breathing became more erratic and their thrusts more sloppy. He reached a hand down to brush his thumb against her sensitive bud, hurrying her along a bit.

After a few more pistoning of their hips, they were flying. She cried out his name as she came, heat flooding through her as he spilled himself inside her.

She collapsed on his chest, trying to slow her breathing as his hands danced across her back, soothing her erratic heart-beat.

"I love you, Kate."

She brought her body up to look into his eyes. "I love you too, Rick."

After another round in the shower, they finally clambered into bed, curling up into each other. It was nice to finally have a good memory when she thought about this day in years to come. Now it wouldn't just be full of pain, now it was about loosing one family, but gaining another.


	12. Chapter 12

**Okie dokie here's another odd chapter but this is what I like to think could have happened in that time when Kate stayed at Castle's loft in season 2. Please enjoy and review if you have the time!**

Her head is swirling, intoxication filling her veins, but she hasn't been drinking, in fact she's running on caffeine. The only intoxicating thing that's making her head spin and her mind glitch is the scent of him, the scent of his home. He's sat close to her but not close enough to have this effect. She puts it down to her week from hell and files it away in her compartment of 'Mistakes'.

She can't breathe without his woodsy manly scent invading her nostrils, resulting in her imagination running wild, forcing her to imagine what his scent would be when mixed with hers, on her skin, on her sheets.

Well his sheets technically... Hers were currently blackened by smoke and stank of explosives.

She was starting to debate as to whether or not she still believed this was a bad idea, but he offered to let her stay while her apartment and all her belongings were either ashes or held in evidence. She was under orders to stay, she didn't have a choice. But she still felt so comfortable here, he let her in and it was more like home than she had felt in a long time, full of family and life and laughter. She missed it, it made her feel safe.

The case had just been closed, finally. Her crazy stalker was now in prison, Montgomery had told them to stay away from the precinct for the weekend, not on call, no popping in to finish paperwork, just stay away and relax for a few days. He had been helping her house-hunt for about 4 hours before they took a break. He had been circling ads in papers and doing countless internet searches while she had been on the phone with her insurance company, repeatedly being put on hold while they tried to find someone who knew what to do about explosion claims.

She had finally given up after they had assured her they would call back when a manager was able to explain the situation. He had taken her out to lunch while Alexis was in school, Martha had promised to drop in later for dinner as well. Now they were sat at the kitchen island, his pasta sauce simmering while they waited for the redheads to arrive. They laughed after a long day, still waiting for the call to let her know what type of apartment she can afford.

He is doing everything he can to make her smile, keep her spirits up. She's had no luck so far and he wants to make her as comfortable as possible while she's here. She insists she can stay with Lanie but if she wasn't here he'd worry about her. Even though her wanna-be assassin is locked up, he's still scared of loosing her.

He never wants to feel that fear again. The fear he felt when he saw the explosion, burst through the door and felt the heat of the flames on his skin, the thought of loosing her. The fear that he'll never see her again, never touch her skin, never smell her cherry locks, never tell her how much she means to him.

She squeezes the hand that he has left astray on the counter, thanking him once again, she keeps saying it, like she's scared she'll seem ungrateful. And he will reply in the same way he has responded to her all day, "Always, Detective." The gleam in her eyes is the thing he looks for every time he says it, and without fail, the spark ignites behind her golden irises, lighting up her pupils with a beautifully intense glow. It flows through her, heating the palm that rests against the back of his hand. He twists it enough to take her fingers in his grasp, clutching to them. Her eyes fall to their fingers. The smile still gracing her face.

He breaks the silence finally; "I was thinking, about how little time we have, how easily it can be taken away..." Her eyes snap up to his, curious and wary to where this conversation is going but not scared enough to stop him. "I don't want to loose you, Kate."

Her eyes are misting, watery, blurring her view, she didn't notice how close he had gotten to her until she blinked to clear her vision. "I just want to let you know how much I-"

The opening for the door sent the two flying back, releasing their grip on each other as Castle walked round the island to check on the pasta. Turning to Beckett briefly to see a crimson flush flooding her face as her eyes looked to the counter, her hands slightly shaky as her breathing came short and fast.

"Hey dad, Detective Beckett." The young girl smiled as she approached the island, taking her fathers seat placing a hand on Kate's shoulder, the brunet almost flinching in surprise at the touch. "Any luck with apartments yet?" The brunet's only reply a simple shake of her head. "Well you know you can stay with us as long as you like, it's nice to have someone else to keep Dad in check." The brunet giggled at that.

Rick's acknowledgement of the comment was met with a loud "Hey!" And a feigned hurt look on his face.

"Thank you, Alexis. I can't express how grateful I am to have somewhere to stay."

The Detective leaned over to give the teenager a quick hug before the redhead excused herself to change for dinner.

"She's right you know, you are welcome to stay here as long as you want." She smiled at him again, watching as he circled the table again, ending up standing behind her, placing his palms to the table on either side of her body as she turned in her chair to face him. "Where was I?" She kept her distance - what little distance there was from him - and shrugged, looking down quickly before looking up at him, a sexy look in her eye as she puckered in a fake thinking face. He leaned in closer, this time to whisper in her ear; "I care about you, Kate, I can't loose you and I really like having you here, especially when you make me breakfast." His nose nuzzled her ear and she sighed before placing her forehead on his shoulder.

"I like being here too."

"Hello everyone!" Martha's sing-song voice rang out strong in the loft. She was still taking off her coat and had not taken notice to the two individuals.

"I've gotta start locking the door." Was the last thing he whispered to her before relentlessly pulling away, wandering back to the cooker before plating up the food. "Evening mother, how was you're day?"

Martha began to explain her newest play, but guiltily, neither Kate or Rick were listening, all they were paying attention to was the longing glances they kept giving one another, Kate's adorably shy smile making his grin increase.

* * *

There was small-talk over dinner, laughing about an actress in Martha's production tumbling off the strange, she was unhurt but managed to take half the set with her.

Once they had cleared up, Martha had departed to her new house with Chet when Alexis, Rick and Kate retired to the couches to watch a film. Rick and Kate both sipping away at a delicious merlot while Alexis scribbled away at her homework, looking up every now and then to watch the tv.

They were sat on either ends of the couch, but heated glances were still being shot between them. Alexis was blind to this from her seat in the armchair.

Once the movie had finished, the redhead abandoned her work and hugged the two adults before escaping to her room, expressing how tired she was.

Kate was the first to speak; "So, want to watch another film?" Her gaze running over his whole body as he shook his head, leaning over to her before running a finger through her hair, tucking away a loose tendril.

"No more interruptions." Her breath hitched as he used the hand tucked behind her ear to draw her closer to him, placing a light kiss to her lips. He nearly pulled away after a moment before she brought her hand up to the back of his head, running her fingers over his scalp before returning his kiss with more passion.

She could feel the heat of his body, she could feel the need for her in each long kiss, the sheer emotion he held for her being translated into each contact of their lips. He had taken her in, taken incredible care of her and she could pretend that she was surprised by how he was acting, but she knew there was something between them. He had just confirmed her suspicions when he arrived at her apartment to protect her and she had spent half the night lying in bed hoping that he would come in, despite her warning.

Now he had saved her from a burning building and had given her everything she needed. She had spent many nights in the guest room in a pair of his jogging bottoms and his green lantern t-shirt, adoring the way it smelt of him. It allowed her to imagine that he was there with her which stilled the nightmares, calmed her when she woke in the night unaware of where she was and still feeling the heat of the flames around her. Suffocating her.

He, broke the kiss to place their foreheads together. "You're so beautiful, Kate. I'm still terrified that I've lost you and I've gone mad with grief and none of this is real."

She leans back to look in his eyes, "This is real, Rick. I'm here, thanks to you." She stroked a hand from his ear to his shoulder before standing and leading him into his bedroom, she liked that his room was a floor lower than everyone else's, it meant they couldn't hear anything.

And they didn't have to sneak past Alexis.

Once they entered the threshold of his room and closed the door, Kate began to remove his t shirt, relishing the way his body felt and twitched under the touch of her fingers. Once he was free of the item of clothing, he returned the favour, removing her top slowly, his thumbs skimming under the hem before he stroked his palms up her bare skin, his thumbs then stroking along her ribs and under the base of her bra before sliding the cotton off completely.

Their touches were slow, intimate, soft. She made fairly quick work of his belt, popping the buttons on his jeans before sliding her hand in to stroke him, the first touch making him moan slightly into her mouth as he gasped. He began working of her buttons, fumbling the action a few times before successfully getting them open.

She was turning Richard Castle to complete mush in moments, and she'd only been using her hand. Wow. What a self esteem boost!

Once he finally got her jeans undone, she removed her hand and he whimpered at the loss of contact. She then slid back onto the bed, shucking her jeans and pants then uncoupling her bra and dropping that to join the growing pile of clothes. He stood staring at her for a long moment, she began to get self-conscious until he whispered "You're perfect." Shucking the rest of his clothing quickly before crawling over her, kissing her deeply, his tongue lining her lips until she granted him entrance.

He was propped up over her on one elbow as his free hand travelled down her body, stroking her at the juncture of her thighs. He moaned when he realised how wet she was, because of him. She made a light squeak when he flicked his index finger over her most sensitive bundle of nerves. He met her eyes before sliding two thick fingers into her opening, watching as her eyes rolled back and he felt the rumble of her moan through her chest as he started a steady rhythm.

She hadn't even noticed that he'd moved until she felt his mouth latch on to her, sucking and nipping and licking as she writhed beneath his touch, it took moments before she was seeing spots and that glorious wave of climax washed over her.

He was back up to her eyes in seconds nestling himself at the cradle of her pelvis. Once the mist had cleared and her head was strait again, he paused, meeting her gaze. She knew what he was doing.

"I want this, Rick. Don't stop." She kisses him once more as he slid slowly into her, sheathing himself completely inside of her. His hips began thrusting into her, slowly at first but quickly picking up speed as he felt himself lacking the ability to hold on much longer.

"Kate, can't hold on." Words pushed out through gasps and moans of pleasure as she simply replied "So close, Rick. Oh, god so close."

Her walls began to flutter around him, clenching him tighter within her just before she screamed out his name in utter abandon as he emptied himself within her wet heat, pumping into her.

He rolled on to his side of the bed, kissing her lightly before using an arm to bring her into his side, her head laid on his chest as she listened intently to his heart beat and steady breathing. His fingers stroking up and down her back as their legs entangled.

She placed one last kiss to his chest before the pull of sleep began dragging her down.

"I love you, Kate." Was all she heard before she fell asleep, the lack of awareness temporarily shutting off her verbal filter as she whispered "I love you too."


End file.
